Pochettino Nears New Deal to Keep Coaching USMNT Through 2030 World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino is on track to stay as USMNT head coach through the 2030 World Cup. Multiple sources briefed on the negotiations told the Guardian that Pochettino and US Soccer are in the final stages of finalizing a new deal. The Athletic's David Ornstein, Tom Bogert, Henry Bushnell and Paul Tenorio reported the agreement is close but not yet signed, according to NBC Sports.

Telemundo announcer Andres Cantor was first to report progress on the talks.

What The New Deal Covers

The extension would keep Pochettino in charge through the 2028 Copa America, World Cup qualifying, and the 2030 World Cup, according to NBC Sports. The federation just watched its team get run off the field in the biggest game of the tournament.

Financial terms haven't been made public. But a source close to the negotiations told the Guardian that Pochettino stands to earn "significantly" more than his previous deal. That previous deal already paid him roughly $6 million a year plus a $2.5 million signing bonus, not counting performance bonuses, according to the Guardian. That made him the third-highest-earning international coach in the world. Part of that salary was subsidized by philanthropic support, most notably from hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin, the Guardian reported.

So taxpayers aren't picking up this tab directly. Since federation spending on a coach with a mixed record deserves scrutiny either way, this context matters.

The Record That Got Him Here

Pochettino took over in September 2024 to lead the U.S. into its first home World Cup in over 30 years. The résumé leading up to that job is legit: Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham (where he took Spurs to a Champions League final), Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea, according to Sports Illustrated.

The USMNT's group stage under him was arguably the best in program history. The team beat Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0, clinching first in their group before the third match, according to Fox News. That marked the first time the U.S. won consecutive group stage matches since the tournament's first edition in 1930, according to Sports Illustrated.

They followed that with a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, their first knockout-stage win in 24 years. That game came with controversy: Folarin Balogun was given a red card that FIFA later postponed enforcing after President Trump said he'd spoken to FIFA about what he called improper red-card protocol, according to Fox News. Balogun ended up playing against Belgium anyway.

It didn't matter. Belgium beat the U.S. 4-1 in Seattle, exposing mistakes from goalkeeper Matt Freese and center-back Tim Ream that Fox News called "inexcusable and indefensible." Sports Illustrated reported Pochettino "appeared to be out-coached from the opening whistle" and struggled to adjust to Belgium's attack. Pochettino overall carries a 17-2-12 record as USMNT boss, according to NBC Sports.

The Case Against Extending Him

The U.S. had a golden, once-in-a-generation opportunity as World Cup hosts to make a real run, and instead got blown out in the Round of 16 by a Belgian team that had "underwhelmed throughout the tournament," per Sports Illustrated. If a coach can't manage his tactics against a team he should be competitive with, in the biggest match of his tenure, on home soil, that's a legitimate reason to ask whether $6 million-plus a year is being well spent. The Guardian noted his tenure also included a fourth-place Nations League finish and a loss to Mexico in a Gold Cup final. Those aren't gaudy results for a coach with Pochettino's résumé.

But the counter-argument matters too. US Soccer CEO JT Batson had already said before the tournament that the federation was "excited" about building on the progress made under Pochettino, according to the Guardian. And the on-field improvement is real and measurable: two group-stage wins by a combined 6-1 scoreline, a first knockout win in 24 years, record USMNT viewership per Sports Illustrated. One bad night against Belgium doesn't erase that. US Soccer also just hired Steve Cherundolo, a possible future USMNT candidate, to run the U-23 team through the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, which NBC Sports read as a signal the federation isn't planning a change at the top now.

What Happens Next

Pochettino told Spanish-language media on July 17 that a decision on his future was coming "next week." Neither he nor the federation has confirmed anything publicly as of this writing. Both sides reportedly want the deal finished so the program can turn to its next set of friendlies in late September and early October, according to the Guardian.

The open question is whether Pochettino, still an in-demand club coach who's been linked to Tottenham and Real Madrid, actually sees this contract through to 2030, or whether the U.S. ends up paying a premium for a coach who leaves early for Europe.